Better Friends (Than Nothing)
by KatLeePT
Summary: Sometimes, it's better to have a person as a friend than to not have them at all. Male/Female romance. Leroy/Astrid.


He thinks of her every day. There doesn't seem to be a place he can go these days where love isn't in the air. Snow and Charming are especially lovey dovey right now as they swoon over one another when they're not cooing over their new baby. Grumpy's glad the child survived the fight with the Wicked Witch, but he's rather sick of all the cutesiness of his friends. Emma, Robin, and even Belle are no better as they each are too busy with their lovers for any real fun.

He slumps as he enters Granny's, his tired feet sounding heavy in his work boots on the diner's floors. He can't go to The Rabbit Hole for a drink without seeing more couples. He's surprised Ruby's working the tables as she's been out with a different man every night this week. He takes his usual stool at the table but doesn't get a chance to order before a glass of Granny's sweet tea is set before him.

"What the Hell's this?" he grumps. "Ruby, you know this isn't my order! I don't drink this crap!"

"I know," the wolfgirl says, smiling slyly over her notepad at him, "but you might not want to tell her that."

"Who? What?" He wants to slap the girl silly, but both because he knows what she means to Snow and because of her wolf side, he's holding himself back when she steps out of his line of vision and his eyes catch on the one woman whom he's been trying not to think of, and failing miserably, all week. "Nova?"

"She sent it. Go talk to her, Leroy. Maybe," Ruby suggests, waggling her eyebrows, "you'll finally get a chance not to be so grumpy."

He knows it's impossible. _This_ is impossible. Nova, or Astrid as she's calling herself these days, shouldn't've sent him a drink. There can be nothing between them, rather he's a Dwarf and she's a Fairy or she's a nun and he's still a Dwarf. Nonetheless, without looking at anything but the beautiful, petite woman smiling shyly at him from behind her own glass of tea, Leroy grabs his glass and trudges over to her.

"Astrid, what . . . ?" he starts to ask, but words fail him. God, she looks even more beautiful up close than he remembers her!

She smiles up at him, and he knows the pounding he's hearing isn't the other Dwarves hammering. It's his own heart. He sits down hard, almost missing the seat. He doesn't notice, and neither Astrid or Ruby laughs. Ruby, for a change, goes about her own business, although she keeps glancing over to the couple, while Astrid smiles and tries to start a conversation she's been meaning to have for a long time now.

"Grumpy, Leroy, I . . . " She sighs, and they can both almost hear her wings flutter as they once did when she was nervous before. "I know it's been a while."

"It's been a lot longer than a while, sister." He stops, realizing how angry he sounds and seeing her flinch a tiny bit. "I'm sorry. It's just . . . " He looks imploringly up at her. "What do you want from me, Astrid? We can't be together. We know that."

She lays a hand over his, and he wishes he could just sit right there like that, with her gently touching him, forever. "I want you in my life, no matter what you're calling yourself these days, what we're doing, or where we are. I want you in my life, Grumpy. I miss you."

"I miss you, too," he admits without hesitation, "but nothing can happen between us."

She smiles. "A lot can happen between us. A lot already has. I'm not asking for you to love me, Grumpy . . . Or do you prefer Leroy now?"

"Doesn't matter," he almost spits out the words in his rush to keep himself from admitting to her that he's never once stopped loving her.

"We can be friends, Leroy. We were going to be before everything . . . " This time, he's certain he hears her wings rustling. " . . . before everything got so busy with Henry and Peter Pan and then Zelena . . . " She shivers visibly, and he wants to wrap her in his arms and let nothing vile ever touch her again.

Part of the problem is, however, that he knows he himself is vile. He's a lowly, meager Dwarf, always smelling and tired from his mining job. He surely must appall her delicate senses, but yet, she's looking at him as though he's not and as though she wants to be with him as dearly as he wants to be with her. Indeed, she's looking at him like she's looked at him in every good dream he's had since the curse broke.

Her eyes shimmer, and he sees the tears welling therein. "Can't we, Grumpy . . . Leroy? Can we not just please be two friends enjoying dinner together?"

He never has been able to tell her "no". He turns over the hand that is underneath her palm so that now he holds her hand instead. "I'd like that, Astrid. I'd like that very much." He hears her wings flutter again as a smile breaks over her face. He grins for seeing her smile, knowing he's made her this happy, is almost worth every bit of heartache he's spent without her. Almost.

His heart still hurts, but Grumpy knows the Fairy is right. It will be much better to have her in his life again than to not have her at all. "Friends," he speaks.

She nods, and he hears a tinkling noise. He doesn't look for it, though; he's far too busy gazing into her eyes. "Friends," she agrees.

Watching them from across the diner, Ruby smiles but shakes her head. Those two have never been able to be just friends. Now won't be any different, but she's happy for them. At least, they have each other again as "friends", even if their lives will never allow them to admit the truth of their feelings for one another.

Her phone buzzes. Her smile broadens as she looks at it. It's time to get ready for her date. She has to think to remember her date's name, but that doesn't give her pause. A girl has to take her fun where she can get it. She only hopes Leroy and Astrid will have half as much fun being friends as she'll have with Jefferson.

The End


End file.
